Infinite Loop —

Seven apps Ars readers use to chase away the iOS default-app blues

More tools to use when Apple's built-in apps let you down.

Last weekend the Ars staff got together and told you what apps we like to use on our iOS devices when Apple's tools let us down. As is usually the case, our recommendations didn't even scratch the surface, and all of you had even more recommendations to fix what the default apps leave broken.

We've sifted through your recommendations and compiled a list of the ones that cropped up the most frequently. If you have even more suggestions, don't be afraid to share them below.

Because of Apple's restrictions, the Chrome app for iOS is missing some of the things present in the Chrome app for Android, specifically the V8 engine. Quite a few of you still prefer Google's iOS browser, though. Maybe you like the slick user interface, which is largely similar to the Android version. Maybe you're a desktop Chrome user, and the data sync features are what has you hooked. Either way, Chrome for iOS remains one of the platform's most attractive third-party browsers, even if you can't change the default from Safari.

The Sparrow mail client's no-new-features status makes some of you (understandably) hesitant to invest in it, but luckily another challenger has appeared: Mailbox.

"I never had a problem with Apple's built-in client but after waiting for an invite for Mailbox, I'm never going back," said IsaacTM. "Mailbox makes checking my email fun, if you can believe it. Swipe right to archive, long-swipe to delete, and swipe left to read it later. Got a bunch of spam? Scroll to the bottom and long swipe it away. It's so easy."

With every new person who downloads Waze, it becomes more useful. Billed as a "social" way to get your maps and traffic information, the app gathers GPS information from all current Waze users to report traffic, road closures, and even the presence of law enforcement officials in real-time.

"Personally I am good with directions and have used the app in areas that I know as well as don't and the suggested routes have always been true," wrote bleaksage. "ETAs are often exact as it reads how fast one is going and the actual flow of traffic… You also get information like where there are accidents, traffic cameras, and construction. It is great for local and long distance driving. Going to areas I don't know I will fully put my faith into the app. Also you can crowd source gas prices and find the best place to stop and refuel for less! I feel like I'm an advertisement for them but I very much recommend it for everyone."

"I replaced the awful Podcast app (without my knowledge or approval it used 500MB of cellular data in two days downloading back-catalogues, and pressing a button took 10 seconds to respond) with the magnificent Downcast," said pitmonster, "and have never looked back."

Part of what makes Downcast a good option is not just that it makes it easy to add non-iTunes podcast feeds to your list (though it will search through the iTunes store too), but that you can universally control a wide range of settings. Where Podcasts makes you manage automatic downloads on a per-podcast basis, Downcast can be set not to auto-download at all, or only to download over Wi-Fi. Like Apple's Podcasts app, iCloud syncing is also available for those of you with multiple devices.

"Weather Underground has a great weather app, very detailed and easy to use," writes rlk025. "I also love it because it taps in to their fantastic crowdsourced weather station network so you have near-real-time temperature data that is neighborhood relevant, a must have if you live somewhere that can see a lot of variability in the local weather."

The second recommendation is a web app rather than an App Store app, but Forecast.io still comes highly recommended by gameraboy: "Great data, snappy as hell, and you can deep dive into information quickly from one screen."

Our last reader recommendation brings things full-circle: reader nononsense discovered Cortex Camera from an article that Ars alum Chris Foresman wrote last year. Now he's back to remind us that the application can stitch together multiple low-light shots (or a low-light video) to create a single composite picture that has more detail than a single shot would be capable of.

I tried using Waze and while I loved the app, it wasn't worth the massive battery drain. I can make it through a day pretty easily without it installed but even if I wasn't using it I still had to charge mid-day. If that's been fixed I would happily go back, the social features are addicting and the accuracy is great.

I only have one complaint (worthy being called a complaint) about Mailbox; the lack of support for tags/folders. Right now I run the default Mail app side by side with Mailbox, that way I can sort where my mail goes when I archive them.

I only have one complaint (worthy being called a complaint) about Mailbox; the lack of support for tags/folders. Right now I run the default Mail app side by side with Mailbox, that way I can sort where my mail goes when I archive them.

I Tweeted them about that and they seemed to think it wasn't a necessary feature. I told them straight up I wasn't touching their app again until regular Gmail tags/labels are incorporated.

I've got over 67 custom labels (non-Gmail ie. "Sent") alone in one gmail account and that goes back 8 years. There is no way I'll stop using it because they won't add support for a basic Gmail function.

I will say I'm probably not their target audience as I 1) Use labels already and 2) deal with email the day I get it, preferably within the hour.

So, I just went to grab a couple of these apps for Android, and one of the permissions on them bothers me...

Why do so so many "non contact apps" need access to my contact list? That's the main reason I haven't installed what would otherwise be useful apps; they ask for stuff that it doesn't make sense that they should need.

It's incredible. It's not even the fact that the accuracy is top notch, it's the fact that I know exactly what's happening around the next corner. I always know where every speed trap or cop hanging around is all the time. I know where the traffic or accidents are the minute they happen.

I only have one complaint (worthy being called a complaint) about Mailbox; the lack of support for tags/folders. Right now I run the default Mail app side by side with Mailbox, that way I can sort where my mail goes when I archive them.

I only have one complaint (worthy being called a complaint) about Mailbox; the lack of support for tags/folders. Right now I run the default Mail app side by side with Mailbox, that way I can sort where my mail goes when I archive them.

I Tweeted them about that and they seemed to think it wasn't a necessary feature. I told them straight up I wasn't touching their app again until regular Gmail tags/labels are incorporated.

I've got over 67 custom labels (non-Gmail ie. "Sent") alone in one gmail account and that goes back 8 years. There is no way I'll stop using it because they won't add support for a basic Gmail function.

I will say I'm probably not their target audience as I 1) Use labels already and 2) deal with email the day I get it, preferably within the hour.

They didn't think it was a necessary feature? Huh? I deleted Mailbox immediately after figuring out it didn't support labels.

A bit of a noobish question, but whenever I try to set up Mailbox, it complains that my Junk Mail folder isn't activated or something. I have little patience* to dig around, so I gave up and went back to the default app. However, for my curiosity, can anyone explain this error?

InstanTunes is an excellent app for generating playlists on the go. Much improved interface compared to the standard iPod app and has a couple of great algorithms. For example, the Underplayed feature creates playlists of my favourite songs that I haven't listened to for a while. It's like rediscovering your music library!

Haha, DarkSky is amazing, but I honestly don't launch the app much anymore. I like Lines more as my go-to app, but I still use Darksky as I love the notifications when it's about to rain. Also, I had no idea there was an update coming until you said so. Their twitter account confirms a DarkSky 3.0 with Lines data so that's going to be cool!

I tried using Waze and while I loved the app, it wasn't worth the massive battery drain. I can make it through a day pretty easily without it installed but even if I wasn't using it I still had to charge mid-day. If that's been fixed I would happily go back, the social features are addicting and the accuracy is great.

The social aspect in waze is great, but dangerous if you are alone. It's very tempting to participate while you are driving.

Also, the maps are terrible. I spent a lot of time fixing what I could, but there is so much that is wrong.

I don't get Waze. The maps are cluttered and difficult to view, touching the screen causes the map to re-orient (there's no "north sticky"), clicking buttons resets the display even if you don't change anything, the control icons cover too much space and are distributed on the maps, and the ads are utterly useless and cover details. Sorry Waze, I'm *not* going to see FF6, especially not at 6:30 in the morning, and certainly not at a theatre 20 miles from my house. I really don't get the Waze love.

I used to use Downcast, but it has its problems, especially with crashing all the time. The last updated to Apple's Podcasts brought 100% feature parity in my day to day and I've been using it ever since.

I don't get Waze. The maps are cluttered and difficult to view, touching the screen causes the map to re-orient (there's no "north sticky"), clicking buttons resets the display even if you don't change anything, the control icons cover too much space and are distributed on the maps, and the ads are utterly useless and cover details. Sorry Waze, I'm *not* going to see FF6, especially not at 6:30 in the morning, and certainly not at a theatre 20 miles from my house. I really don't get the Waze love.

I used to use Downcast, but it has its problems, especially with crashing all the time. The last updated to Apple's Podcasts brought 100% feature parity in my day to day and I've been using it ever since.

I don't get where you're seeing ads on Waze... I've never seen a single ad.

Agenda is the IOS calendar App I use. Being able to reply to everyone in a meeting on the calendar sold it. It even has canned responses- meeting still on? 10min late. etc. So you can update everyone and hustle on.

It's incredible. It's not even the fact that the accuracy is top notch, it's the fact that I know exactly what's happening around the next corner. I always know where every speed trap or cop hanging around is all the time. I know where the traffic or accidents are the minute they happen.

It's not just a GPS, its a driving companion.

While I loved Waze the time I used it, unfortunately I felt like it was poorly integrated with iOS. With Google Maps or even better, iOS default Maps (I know, I know, but I never found it that bad), I can play music while hearing the directions and when the GPS is going to speak, it lowers the music volume so I can clearly hear them (Maps is better in this regard than Google Maps, but GM is at least adequate). That was impossible with Waze, the max voice volume setting even mixed with the min music volume made it impossible to hear the GPS voice clearly.

I don't know if that's been fixed or is there any workaround. I would happily go back to Waze if it were compatible with me listening to my music on the car.

I don't get Waze. The maps are cluttered and difficult to view, touching the screen causes the map to re-orient (there's no "north sticky"), clicking buttons resets the display even if you don't change anything, the control icons cover too much space and are distributed on the maps, and the ads are utterly useless and cover details. Sorry Waze, I'm *not* going to see FF6, especially not at 6:30 in the morning, and certainly not at a theatre 20 miles from my house. I really don't get the Waze love.

I used to use Downcast, but it has its problems, especially with crashing all the time. The last updated to Apple's Podcasts brought 100% feature parity in my day to day and I've been using it ever since.

I don't get where you're seeing ads on Waze... I've never seen a single ad.

Waze likes to tell me when I'm near a Taco Bell, wondering if I'd like to go there rather than my current destination. This is odd, as I never go to Taco Bell.

I tried using Waze and while I loved the app, it wasn't worth the massive battery drain. I can make it through a day pretty easily without it installed but even if I wasn't using it I still had to charge mid-day. If that's been fixed I would happily go back, the social features are addicting and the accuracy is great.

I use waze almost daily because of its accuracy if predicting arrival time to a destination and displaying accidents and slow downs on my route. My biggest gripe with it is its insistence of suggesting routes that are 5-10 miles longer than what I know not to be correct (On my daily route into work). If it weren't for that, I would gladly suggest this program to everybody.